Question

EXERCISE 2: TESTABLE OBSERVATIONS

Determine which of the observations below are testable. For those that are testable:

• Determine if the observation is qualitative or quantitative.

• Write a hypothesis and a null hypothesis.

• What is your experimental approach?

• What are the dependent and independent variables?

• What are your controls, both positive and negative?

• How will you collect your data?

• How will you present your data (e.g., chart, graph, type)?

• How will you analyze your data?

Observations

1. A plant grows three inches faster per day when placed on a window sill than it does when placed on a coffee table in the middle of the living room.

2. The bank teller with brown hair and brown eyes is taller than the other tellers.

3. When Sally eats healthy foods and exercises regularly, her blood pressure is 10 points lower than when she eats fatty foods and does not exercise.

4. The Italian restaurant across the street closes at 9 pm, but the one-two blocks away closes at 10 pm.

5. For the past two days, the clouds have come out at 3 pm, and it has started raining at 3:15 pm.

6. George did not sleep at all the night following the start of Daylight Savings Time.

Answer 1

1. A plant grows three inches faster per day when placed on a window sill than it does when placed on a coffee table in the middle of the living room.

• The observation is testable
• The observation is quantitative
• the hypothesis: if a plant is placed on a window sill, it will grow faster than a plant placed on a coffee table in the middle of the living room.
• The null hypothesis:- if a plant is placed on a window sill, it will grow at the same rate as a plant placed ona coffee table in the middle of the living room.
• The dependent variable:- growth of the plant.
• The independent variable:- the location of the plant
• negative control:- plant placed on the coffee table.
• positive control:- plant placed on the window sill.
• I will collect the data by using a ruler to measure the plants initials height and the heights of the plants at the end of the day.
• I will present this data in a line graph.
• When analysing this experiment, if my result supported to my hypothesis, I would replicate the study just to make sure of it.

2. The bank teller with brown hair and brown eyes is taller than the other tellers.

• This observation is not testable.

3. When Sally eats healthy foods and exercises regularly, her blood pressure is 10 points lower than when she eats fatty foods and does not exercise.

• The observation is - testable
• The observation is - quantitative
• Hypothesis:- if Sally eats healthy food and excercise regularly then her body pressures will decrease by 10
• Null hypothesis:- if Sally eats healthy food and exercises regularly then her body pressure will remain the same as if she ate an healthy or didn't exercise.
• Experimental approach:- record Sally blood pressure when she eats healthy and exercise and also when she doesn't exercise or eat healthy.
• Dependent variable:- blood pressure
• Independent variable:- if she works out and eats healthy and if she does't work out and eat unhealthy.
• Positive control:- if she works out and eat healthy.
• Negative control:- if she doesn't work out and eats unhealthy.
• I would collect the data by taking her blood pressure and record it for everyday of the two week study.
• I would present a data using line graph
• After I analyse my result to see is the matched my hypothesis, I would replicate the study.

4. The Italian restaurant across the street closes at 9 pm, but the one-two blocks away closes at 10 pm.

• This observation is not testable

5. For the past two days, the clouds have come out at 3 pm, and it has started raining at 3:15 pm.

• Not testable
• Whether is not a controllable factor, therefore we cannot conduct a controlled experiment with this changing factor.

6. George did not sleep at all the night following the start of Daylight Savings Time.

• The observation is not testable.